Tale of the Timewhisperers: Dynasty
by Yusagi
Summary: Sequel to Phantom: The Doctor and Rose decide to do something special for their 4 and a half year anniversary, and as usual end up in exactly the opposite place they plan. This time in the harem of a Chinese emperor. AU DR PostDD


Author's Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own DW. I do not own Pete's World/Universe. Even if I'm making up everything in it ATM.

AN: And with a sleek new style, Tale of the Time Whisperers is here!

* * *

_Dynasty_

**Chapter 1 - _Anniversary_**

Warm. So warm, so soft, so familiar. She took a deep breath as a new and yet not unfamiliar smell filled her nose. Her eyes met smooth skin, slightly cool to the touch, but so right. A thick and wonderfully soft duvet was pulled up to her chin, but it was the slim arm curved casually around her that gave the sense of comforting security that flooded through her.

Her face tilted up to meet his smile, and she grinned groggily up at him. She was not surprised at the fact that he had been awake before her, and watching her in silence. Dreams had once been a sanctuary both he and she had hidden in, but now it seemed they were a source of constant fear--fear that they would be pulled apart once again, doubt that the past three months had only been a dream.

It seemed like it had been a month before either of them would allow the other to even let go of their hand longer than was absolutely necessary for day-to-day life. She herself had woken screaming from a dream she could no longer recall just the week before, and spent several hours just lying with him, holding him tight, and reassuring herself that he was really--_really_ there, and wasn't going anywhere.

"Good morning, Rose." He grinned at her. "Have a pleasant dream?"

She nodded, snuggling closer into his willing arms. "I'm gonna go back to it. 'Night."

She felt his chest shake softly with his chuckle, and a soft kiss pressed into her hair. "We've got a universe to save, Rose."

"We're a timeship. The universe can wait another half hour." She grumbled against his chest. She wasn't sure whether he heard her, but he made no reply, so she decided to seize the opportunity to get more sleep before he ran out of patience again.

--

"Three hours!"

She glanced out from the wardrobe she was rifling through, to give the Lord-of-kicked-puppies a frown. "I was tired! In case you forgot, I spent all yesterday climbing across jagged, _sheer_ rocks, tryin' not to get eatin' by the natives!"

His mouth dropped open. "You can't blame me for that! They were perfectly peaceful in our universe!"

She shrugged on a simple red T-shirt, made of some fabric she couldn't recall, which they'd picked off while exploring the 32nd century, and crossed her arms. "Like my Mum said, _this_ is our universe now, no use in clingin' to the old one when it won't bring ya any closer to it."

"I'm pretty sure your continued clinging is what got us here now."

She gave him a wry grin, and shook her head. "Wasn't the universe I was clingin' to."

"Right then..." He said briskly, deftly dodging where the conversation was headed. "We've got a whole universe to get acquainted with--and I've already 900 less years to do it with!"

It was a funny quirk of their relationship, that. He never denied or danced around the fact that he loved her anymore--not that he truly ever did before. In some ways he seemed desperate to express in every possible way he could just what his feelings were, but there were things he still refused to acknowledge. Maybe it was a part of his 'no domesticity' policy that he still adhered to.

She smiled at him as she walked up next to him in the TARDIS hallway, and took his hand. Whatever his reasons or inhibitions, all that really mattered now was that they were together again, closer than ever before--and this time she had all the time in the universe to get even closer.

Time...speaking of time...There was something important coming up, she knew it--The Doctor had taught her a makeshift way of keeping track of time on the TARDIS when she had threatened him with a butterknife and various levels of mental instability a few years before.

What was it? It wasn't a holiday _per se_...(those were exceedingly difficult to keep track of, so she usually relied on him to swing by her mother's flat or such when he decided she needed some cheer)

She smiled suddenly as her memory clicked in her mind, and practically skipped up to the consol with a grin. "Doctor?"

He looked up from the controls he was already fiddling with.

"Do ya know what day it is?"

He gave her a half-amused look. "We just entered the Vortex."

She rolled her eyes, and smirked. "You know what I mean."

He gave her an innocent look. "No, I don't!"

"I thought you were some great 'Lord of Time'? Can't you even keep track of time?"

He looked mildly affronted. "Keep 'track of time'? I have a grasp of time that no ape could hope to have!"

She put on a hurt face. "Oh, that's nice!"

"It's not my fault I'm superior."

She sighed. He was side-tracking her on purpose. She was sure of it. "You _know_ what day it is."

He gave her a sidelong look. "Rose..."

"It's our four-and-a-half year anniversary!"

From his expression, Time Lords clearly never thought to celebrate four-and-a-half year anniversaries. Of course it could possibly be that they never bothered to celebrate anniversaries at all. That might be it. In fact, from the way he was staring as if she'd abruptly sprouted three heads and started speaking in Sycoraxian, it probably was.

He apparently concluded she was not joking after a few moments of staring, and sighed. "It's only three-and-a-half, firstly. You can't count the year the TARDIS skipped--and another year of that we weren't even in the same universe, anyway, so it should be only two-and-a-half."

She crossed her arms.

"Besides...what human celebrates half-anniversaries?"

Cue the raised eyebrow. Human, Time Lord (was that _really_ even a race?), three-eyed slug monster. Men were all the same.

He gave an oppressed sigh after a few moments of the Tyler Stare. "Fine. Where do 21st century humans go for anniversaries...the year five billion, maybe? We could watch the sun explode again."

"And almost get fried when this universe's Cassandra sabatoges the space station again?"

He looked almost petulant. "Maybe Cassandra is reformed in this universe."

"And maybe we'll get scorched this time."

"Oh, _come on_, Rose!" He bounced around the console impatiently. "Where's your sense of _adventure_? Where's the fun in a boring anniversary where nothing happens?"

"Fine. Here I wanted just a short breather so that I could actually stop and _appreciate_ you being here again, but whatever."

He sighed. "Humans. Can't smell the roses along the way..."

"Can't smell what's blown up. Not like they're meant to smell, anyway."

He frowned irritably at her, and input the course. "Put on a jacket. It'll be cold."

"And a tank-top, since it'll get hot." She added under her breath, sulking toward the door. He certainly wasn't Mickey--she couldn't win every argument with just a bit of pouting and petulance. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

--

His grin was far too smug and wide. It was really very inappropriate after winning an argument. Stupid Time Lords.

"What're you so happy about?" She grumbled. "I thought you didn't want to do any anniversary stuff anyway."

He just kept grinning, and tossed his trenchcoat around her shoulders. "I told you...you'll need a coat."

She might have protested, but his arms around her shoulders was really quite distracting, as he led her across the room, still grinning like a madman. He rarely smiled this much...so clearly he was up to something.

She'd have asked him what, but he chose that moment to speak.

"Rose Tyler...you're about to see what no human--well, in this universe--has ever seen."

She arched an eyebrow at him, considering a few choice remarks about his build up to something that really couldn't be all that different in this universe.

He braced a hand on one door. "I bring you, Rose...the formation of the Earth!...Hopefully the aliens will be a bit more interesting this time."

The formation of the Earth, complete with questionable aliens was all well and good for an anniversary...but Rose was pretty sure that the Earth actually had to _form_ before they could be in a _building_...and there was probably some prequisite to the people now staring blankly at them.

From the Doctor's expression, in this sentiment at least, he agreed. "Ah."

**CH End**

* * *

AN: Excuse me whilst I crawl away and die from lack of productivity. 


End file.
